Complicated
by sammyforch
Summary: When will things be simple again? When M'Gann reveals the truths that have been hidden from the team, will they ever be able to trust one another again? Contains mild Supermartian. Spoilers for Before the Dawn. May be discontinued. Message me for input.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or DC Nation

* * *

He doesn't take his eyes off her. She is trembling and does not talk the entire ride home. Right, home. More like a temporary stay in the Watchtower. La'Gaan keeps on attempting to talk to her, but she does not respond. When they dock in the tower, La'Gaan takes her by the arm and leads her down the ramp and when they reach the bottom, she shrugs him off. Lagoon Boy then grabs her forearms and turns her towards him after he lets out a cry of frustration.

"What is wrong with you today?!" Her eyes change from being distant to fearful. Everyone's eyes are now on the couple. The girls of the team look on in worry while the men on the team sheepishly watch them. Before Conner can intervene, Black Canary gets in the middle of the two of them. She puts a comforting hand on the young girl's shoulder. Miss Martian blinks twice before turning her attention to the Justice League member.

"It's been a long day…for everyone. M'Gann could probably just use some time to herself," she says in a gentle tone. M'Gann looks down and refuses to make eye contact with the Atlantean. The warrior's gaze softens. Before La'Gaan can apologize, Miss Martian walks away without a word to her room. Superboy's eyes narrow before the team meets in the commons area. He watches as the female members of the team gossip while the guys tell jokes and tell all about their experiences with the mission. The room is very high tech, courtesy of Wayne Enterprises, whom the Batman seems to be a little too involved with, he observes. His eyes then focus on Batgirl when he notices that she is whispering with Bumblebee as they try to sneak glances at him. After a few pauses, Barbara makes her way over to Conner and leans against the wall next to him.

"You're worried about her," she points out. Conner looks to the ground and his eyes narrow.

"Something's not right," he replies. Batgirl stretches her arms out in front of her and gazes at the many people in the room.

"Then go talk to her," she says.

"She didn't talk to La'Gaan," he scowls. Barbara crosses her arms and glances at him.

"You know that this isn't about him," she retorts. He does not reply.

"Use whatever excuse you want, Conner, but she needs you." And with that, she pushes off the wall and walks away towards Nightwing. Sighing, Conner walks out of the commons. He does not notice Barbara's small smile, before she starts chatting away with the former boy wonder.

* * *

Short chapter but I wanted to do a follow up on what I think is going to happen following 'Before The Dawn' but thanks to the hiatus I'm going to have to wait longer. :/ If I get some reviews, I may make a next chapter. :) There hasn't been a lot of Barbara interaction with a lot of people besides Dick and Cassie so I wanted to put her character there. :) Thanks and please review! :) 3


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own YJ or DC Nation.

* * *

He pauses before lifting his fist to her door.

"It's not right," he mutters under his breath. He takes a large breath before knocking. His knuckles hit the door and it is so quiet that he can hear his knock echo after touching the steel. He sighs and calls her name.

"M'Gann-" Before he can finish his sentence, the door automatically opens. He looks into the room and his eyes widen slightly at the sight before him. There are multiple random objects flying around the room. Soap, books, toilet paper, and other items the girl packed soared around the room in a random manner, floating in many different directions. However, that was not what concerned him.

M'Gann sat leaning against the wall on her bed, with her arms locked around her knees. Her face had the same blank look, but her eyes were lit a harsh green, the same green he had known every time she had used her mental abilities. The half Kryptonian is hesitant at first, but begins to walk through the flurry of objects. Some come close to hitting him, but they never do. He sits down next to her and exhales deeply. The mattress makes a slight bounce when he seats himself upon it, but the young girl is not stirred, in fact her position never shifts.

They sit in silence, then. All that can be heard is slight breath and the whirring of the objects that are suspended in the air. He watches her face and attempts to get her attention, but she is distant.

He does not want to lose her again.

He takes her right hand in his and the items that are in the air pause in mid-air. They remain in place, not moving. His eyes roam the room, taking in the scene, and then he diverts his attention back to her. He stares at her calmly.

"M'Gann." And like that, the objects fall. He can hear a crash coming from the bathroom, most likely the lamp from her bedside table that he had noticed floating around at some point. He glances at her and notices that her eyes are the honey brown that he has known for so long. She is trembling and does not make eye contact with him. She locks her arms tighter around her knees.

"I'm… so sorry, Conner. I'm so, so sorry," she murmurs. His eyes widen slightly and then lower. He frowns.

"For what?" The question goes unanswered for a few pauses and the clone wonders why. Silent tears run down the girl's face and she does not stop them.

"For everything," she whispers. He shifts his position so he is somewhat closer to her, but not very. He nods after a few moments. She begins to tremble faster. He tries to find her eyes and mumbles her name, but is not sure she hears him.

"I'm a monster, Conner," she whimpers. He shakes his head.

"No…you're not, M'Gann." There is an uncomfortable silence and being that he is not one for subtlety, gets straight to the point.

"What happened on that ship, M'Gann?" She hides her face with her hands and shakes her head. He takes both of her hands from her face and looks her in the eyes.

"M'Gann…you need to tell me what happened. What did you do after you saved Beast Boy and Impulse? What happened to the mental link?" She breathes deeply and looks at Superboy in the eyes. She stops shaking.

"I-I ran into Kaldur," she says. He detaches their hands. The boy's brow furrows and he rubs his neck. He motions her to go on.

"I…telepathically attacked his mind and accused him of being a murderer," she tells him. Her cries threatening to release from her throat become more frequent as she attempts to muffle them. He wants to comfort her but it is not his place, not right now and he is...not sure if she deserves his kindness after everything that has happened.

He thinks of what she did to both of the Kroloteans, the one that was being interrogated and the one she had attacked on Rann, the look of helplessness on their faces.

"How is that so different from when you attacked the Kroloteans?"

"It's…the information that I received from Kaldur's mind," she murmurs.

"Well, what do you mean?"

"I've never…actually gone through a mind of a person like that before," she starts, "I saw his whole life, all of his memories. Before he joined the team, while he was with the team…I saw his whole life. Atlantis, us…Tula." Conner's eyes close in respect of his friend.

"Did you get what happened after he quit?"

"Yes," she replies quietly. He does not want to ask her this next question because he knows he will regret hearing the answer. He does not know how she will react, but he has to ask.

"What did you see?" She rubs her temples with her index fingers.

"It was blurred and it did not last a long time, but I was able to make out a few images and discovered a couple of things along the way."

"Like what?"

"We're being…deceived, Conner." Shock overwhelms him at first, but then it is suspicion. He raises an eyebrow.

"By who, M'Gann?" The girl sighs. She stops talking for a time, but sadly answers him.

"By the people we trust most," she utters. Conner presses his back up against the wall and anger begins to shine through his features.

"They lied straight to our faces…staged certain scenarios and battles. All to keep us from discovering them," the girl continues.

"It involved Kaldur…and you discovered what him and the others were doing," he breathes. The Martian nods.

"Yes," she answers.

"How well…disguised were their plans?"

"They were very well thought out, brilliant almost," Miss Martian remarks. Superboy puts his hands behind his head and shakes his head. Were they really that blind? How had they not noticed?

"Well, what were some of the lies? What did they do?" She can tell his temper is rising and thinks he may burst if she gives him the answer that will anger him most. She cannot hide anything from him, not anymore.

"Well, to start…Artemis…isn't really dead."

* * *

Thank you so much for the reviews and the faves and follows! :) Means a lot.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or DC Nation.

* * *

She is not startled when her ex-boyfriend punches a hole in the wall.

"How could they…why would they…?" His rambling goes on for a few minutes until he sits down once more next to her. She does not say anything when he wipes the furious tears from his eyes that are threatening to fall.

"She's alive," he whispers in awe. She nods before lacing her fingers together on her lap.

"And…she was in on the plan," he says. Miss Martian looks down.

"Yes," she confirms. She can feel him tense beside her.

"Who else?" She sighs before responding to the clone.

"You won't like the answer," she murmurs under her breath. He clenches his fists.

"Tell me, M'Gann," he responds. His tone is bitter.

"Kaldur, Artemis…Dick and Wally," she reveals. He bites back a swear and lets out a frustrated cry.

"The only way to get information about the Light…was to have one of us become them. The apparent death of Tula gave Kaldur the opportunity that was needed," she tells Conner. His brow is furrowed and the look of betrayal in his eyes reminds her of when they had talked in the bioship. Her eyes lower.

"There have been countless times when they have met up…and have even exchanged information in battle," she goes on.

"You saw it?" She nods in affirmation.

"Show me," he instructs. Her heartbeat quickens. She shakes her head no.

"But-" Conner puts up a hand.

"I... trust you, M'Gann," he says. She lets out a sigh before hesitantly raising her hands to the sides of his face. She barely touches them when she notices she is shaking again. Not violently like before, but this time out of nervousness. He covers her hands with his own, stabilizing them so that they no longer shake. He looks at her and gives her a small, reassuring smile. She lets out a big breath before connecting their minds.

There are many white flashes between Kaldur's memories. He takes in all of them and even smiles at a few early ones from when the team had first started.

The scene of Artemis's death is replayed and shows the Atlantean stabbing her but his eyes narrow when he sees the four of them in the warehouse, one he is sure he has not seen before.

There is a necklace around her neck…and it suddenly comes to him why the Tigress girl has shown up in some of the team's their recent battles.

Following that memory, it shows Kaldur punching Nightwing in the gut at Mount Justice and he notices when the two exchange information that was on the drive.

After that, he watches as the mountain explodes and then it all goes dark.

He opens his eyes to see M'Gann watching him with curiosity. He squeezes her hands reassuringly before placing them back on her lap. There is silence for a few minutes.

"It was brilliantly executed," she claims. He lowers his eyes.

"…Why did they not tell us?" His tone is angry. She shrugs.

"I'm not sure," the Martian replies quietly. He stands up.

"Then, let's go find out," he says. Her jaw drops before catching the half Kryptonian's arm.

"You're joking, right?" He shakes his head.

"Why the heck would I? M'Gann, they USED us, threw us under the bus, destroyed our home, made us believe our friend was dead-" She stands up and faces him.

"We can't, Conner…not yet."

"Why not?"

"I…I can't…" He feels bad now.

"You're scared of facing them?" She lowers her head.

"We've all been working as a team for years, M'Gann. It was only a matter of time, anyway. We should be able to trust them. The trust will continue to crumble unless we go talk to them now. Now, the least they can do is to be honest with us," he confirms.

"But, how I found out what happened-"

"May be brought up," he interrupts, "but it's for another time. We'll get you the help you need, M'Gann."

"Okay," she whispers.

"I'll do the talking," he adds as he walks over to the door before a pressing a button to open it. She does not reply before making her way over to him. Her feet drag behind her, as if her body is not willing to move forward. The door slides open and Conner stands next to the door, gesturing for her to go first. She pauses before stepping out of the room.

Conner misses the way it used to be.

When he could hold her the way he wanted, when there wasn't much to be worried about. Not really. When there was this feeling of ease. They could all rely on each other and know that even if they did not succeed, everything would end up alright. It was just the six of them then.

Three of them have left since then. One is remembered by the rest of the team as hero. Another is known as a traitor and they believe the final former member is dead. How delusional had he been? Was he really that blind to notice that the people, who had freed him from imprisonment, were scheming behind his back?

She stares at him sadly before turning to go out the door. He follows her out the door and it automatically closes behind them. They walk down the corridor and do not talk. She stops when she sees Red Tornado at the end of hallway. Conner goes up to him, but she cannot hear their conversation. She watches as Red Tornado nods his head and walks in the opposite direction. The clone walks back towards her and puts his hand on her back, motioning her to turn around. They begin advancing in that direction.

M'Gann cannot believe how much things have changed in these past five years.

She has made new friends, new enemies, and even discovered powers she had never known she possessed. They work with the League now more and are doing more advanced missions.

It was so much simpler back then. Batman would give them a minor mission, but as it turned out would end up much more important than any of them expected. They'd come back with maybe a few cuts and bruises.

Now, everyone may not come back. Some were kidnapped, while others were thought to have perished in the line of duty. It saddens her.

How can so much change in so little time?

They reach the briefing room and stand there patiently, side by side.

After a couple of minutes, almost at the same time, Wally comes through the teleporter and Dick walks in. They walk towards each other and shake hands and smile. They raise an eyebrow at each other before acknowledging Conner and M'Gann. Superboy's expression is grim and his arms are crossed. The Martian's right hand grasps her left shoulder as she looks at the two of them.

"We need to talk." The bitterness of Conner's tone echoes throughout the room.

* * *

Note: Thank you SO much for the views and reviews and follows and favorites and oh my gosh you guys are so great! :) Hope you liked this chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not YJ, DC Nation, or Cartoon Network. Cause if I did, YJ would not be on hiatus.

* * *

Wally looks down, but does not respond. These five years have changed him the most, Miss Martian believes. He is a changed man in several ways. Artemis must have gotten to him. He puts his hands and his pockets and has an unreadable expression on his face. Dick bites his lip and raises his eyebrows.

"Conner, I don't get what you're getting so worked up over," Dick mentions. Miss Martian looks up from the ground suddenly and stares at the former boy wonder in shock. She then diverts her eyes to her ex-boyfriend. His fists shake in anger until he releases a furious cry and shoves Nightwing by the neck into a nearby wall, creating a rather large dent into it. Wally watches but does not make an attempt to stop the half-Kryptonian. He leans on a piece of Watchtower machinery and says nothing.

The clone continues to hold him against the wall and Nightwing stares at him with a calm expression on his face for several seconds. M'Gann watches with concern evident in her features as Nightwing's face drops and his face contorts in pain.

"Superboy!" He hears her call him and he growls. He releases his grip on Dick and the man in front of him drops to the ground. Conner backs away from him and watches as Nightwing kneels on the ground, holding his neck and panting.

"We _know_, Dick. We know about the dealings with Kaldur, the lies you've told us….and we know the _she_ isn't really dead," Conner reveals, frustrated. Nightwing looks away and tries not to meet Conner's eyes. Instead, he looks at Miss Martian and comes to a realization.

"You…you did that mind thing to Kaldur…didn't you?" The Martian stares at her shoes and rubs her arms.

"DIDN'T YOU?" Tears flow freely down the young girl's face and Conner waits for her reaction, knowing very well that he may have to step in at some point.

"This isn't about that." All three of them turn to Wally, who has been quiet throughout the ordeal.

"This is about the fact that we lied to them, Dick. That we played them as if they were pawns in a game," Wally says. The two other members remain silent, quietly taking in what their former teammate tells Nightwing.

"Why is this the first time you bring this up, Wally? It's never bothered you before," Nightwing states with a confused look on his face.

"Maybe because Artemis is like them now…a pawn! She can only wait now…undercover and all alone, waiting to see what the Light wants to do with her, all because of this plan you came up with!"

M'Gann and Conner did not expect him to have this opinion on the plan. They expected him to be defensive about it, angry with the two of them…not someone that he had been involved with the plan with him.

"I told you before! I'm terrified for her. She could be at home, right now, safe. Instead, she's surrounded by psychopaths that she must obey," he cries.

"Don't even try putting all the blame on me, Wally. All of us knew the risks of it and the both of you included, accepted that!"

Conner and M'Gann eyes go back and forth from Dick to Wally and Wally to Dick as the two bicker back and forth. She had never seen the two of them like this before. She remembers when all they would do is joke and prank each other. Maybe throw in a good insult to each other every now and then, but they would both laugh it off. How they had been the best of friends and always work the best together.

She felt as if she were watching two completely different people.

She couldn't take it anymore.

"STOP!" They both turn to her, shoulders heavy and their breaths quickened. She throws her hood above her head, something that all three of the boys had familiarized themselves with. She did that when she felt insecure, or unsure.

"This…can wait until later," she murmurs, "but while we're all in one place…I-I just want to know why. Why you lied to us. We're all the original members here. We started it all. Why couldn't you tell us? How could you lie to us?" Her voice rises. She trembles and tears run down her face, non-stopping. She has a look of frustration on her face and her teeth grit before she speaks again.

"Why did you put us through all of this pain and guilt for your personal gain?! Why make me believe one of my closest friends was dead and that our former beloved leader would turn against us because of the death of the girl he loved?!" Conner wipes his eyes angrily and runs a rough hand down his face. Wally looks at the girl in sympathy as she shakes. Dick's eyes soften and he takes off his mask. He lets go of it and M'Gann watches as it flutters to the ground. He sits in a nearby chair and runs a gloved hand through his hair.

"It was to make sure our plan was never discovered," he whispers.

"If all of the original members knew of it, the Light would have gotten suspicious of us from the start. Unexplained disappearances of us from Mount Justice would trigger curiosity. We had to gain their trust first. They wanted to see how Kaldur would go to prove himself to his father and to the light. Artemis's death was the solution to that problem. We faked her death and your reactions were what convinced the Light to believe Kaldur. Conner, your guilt…and M'Gann, your sadness and anger was what persuaded them. It would have looked too unrealistic if the two of you weren't as emotionally connected," he says.

"You manipulated our emotions. How did you feel justified? Were you just okay with doing that?" Wally listens to Conner and decides to answer before Dick dug his own grave.

"It wasn't easy…at all. I remembered Artemis just coming home and crying because she felt so bad about when she had faked her own death. It's sad when you have to lie to your own best friends just for the sake of a mission. It's sad when anyone has to manipulate them for anything, really," he says sadly. M'Gann lowers her hood and walks over to him. She locks her arms around his torso tightly. He burrows his head into her neck and hugs her back. He begins to cry.

For himself.

For everything that has happened.

For Kaldur.

For Artemis.

Superboy and Nightwing look on as M'Gann comforts Wally.

"How long," Conner mutters in monotone. He does not turn to face him.

"I came up with a few years ago, when you and M'Gann were still together." Conner glances at M'Gann when he says that. His features soften when he looks at her and he knows that Dick notices.

"When the two of you," he clears his throat, "you know…it just made the plan look better. The two of you weren't spending as much time together. It convinced the Light that you were too angry with each other to work together." M'Gann releases Wally with a hand on his shoulder and tells him something that the two boys cannot hear. Conner knows very well that he could've used his super hearing but decides against it. Dick decides to address Conner and M'Gann.

"Today…may not be a day of forgiveness and trust, but now that you know…there's no going back. No more secrets of this, no more lies," he confirms. He pulls two zip drives out of his utility belt and hands them to M'Gann.

"These two drives will tell you everything you need to know. About the plan…and about the Light," he says.

"I know it may be hard to learn to trust me or Wally…or even try to trust us again, but I figure this a start," he says. Wally notices tears threatening to spill from his best friend's eyes. It is only a matter of time before Batman's former protege would break.

"I'm sorry," he whispers painfully. Conner nods. Miss Martian walks up to him hesitantly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Dick...I-"

Without a word, Nightwing pulls her to him and hugs her. Her eyes widen but then close as she hugs him back. He mutters apologetic words over and over. Wally and Superboy look at each other with understanding, as if they sent a silent message to one another. Quiet words echo throughout the room.

"I'm so sorry, M'Gann. I'm so, so sorry."

* * *

Thank you for all the reviews and favorites and everything! Means so much and school's been well, you know. So I appreciate everything and thanks a bunch. :)

And to the one guest, who talked about glossing over what happened with M'Gann and Kaldur. You're definitely right about it being in a bunch of these stories. But thinking about it, Conner has been disapproving of M'Gann's ways in many episodes but does not confront M'Gann about it, besides the one time in the bio-ship early on in the season. That has actually disappointed me in some episodes. In following chapters, I will definitely be focusing on that more. But, remember that all this information is so new to Conner and M'Gann. It's shocking to him and it's kind of harder to focus on everything else. The story does not end here and I will do a chapter with the consequences of her actions, in fact her place on the team may be on the line. It will get more in depth in later chapters. Thank you for reviewing.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice, DC Nation, or any of it's characters. Hiatus is almost over. Cannot. Wait.

* * *

M'Gann has avoided Conner for the past couple days. She doesn't leave her room after watching the video footage with the half Kryptonian. It is a lot to take in. Many people have knocked on her door, asking if she was okay or if she needed anything. She would always reply that she was fine and that she needed some time to herself. However, she knew that her Uncle J'onn would not approve of this. He had always taught her to not let her pent-up emotions build. It wasn't healthy, he would tell her. She knew that he would be the only person that could actually help her. She can only wonder of how he will react. He has shunned her in the past, like when she snuck upon one of his ships going to Earth. She had always found herself…different compared to her many sisters on Mars. She had a strong will to survive and was not going to be one to fall at the feet of the aliens invading her home.

She hears that the Justice League has returned from their mission, thanks to information from Bee. They are all a bit shaken when they return and when asked what of the sixteen hours, they would reply that the information was confidential and would be revealed at a later time. No one really argues with that, but all secretly wonder what happened. M'Gann doesn't really care, too caught up in her own thoughts to even acknowledge the possibilities of what happened after the attack.

It's not like she didn't know what she was doing. M'Gann believes that's what scared her the most. That she was relentless, that she didn't even give it a second thought. Well, they're the bad guys. They deserve to suffer because in turn, they have made other suffer before.

But, it is now that she realizes that the world isn't really that black and white. It infuriates her that it took her telepathically attacking Kaldur for it to finally get it into her head. No one deserves having their privacy, their own thoughts being invaded. No, they don't, not really. She senses the mind of her uncle and lets him in. He sits next to her on her bed and ponders in his own thought before opening his mouth.

"Superboy said that you had to see me. What is going on, my niece?" M'Gann fists the black material her pants are made of and lets out a restrained breath. She turns to her uncle as tears leak down her face.

"I…need help, Uncle J'onn. I-I can't…" He wraps an arm around her and she buries his face in his costume.

"I know M'Gann. I know about your powers and what you have done. Unfortunately, you will have to face the consequences…which is why I am here." Martian Manhunter feels the young girl tense as she quickly retracts her body.

"W-what?" He sighs and gestures towards the door. She uses her telepathy and senses Batman's presence. She bites her lip and prevents further tears from forming.

"I am…simply the messenger. The League wishes to meet with you and discuss what precautions-"

"Precautions? Like what they're going to do with me or do to me? I deserve it," she cries.

"I'm a monster, just like Psimon! I deserve to be locked up! I should be the one brain dead, not Kaldur!" Batman bursts in when he hears the yelling. M'Gann looks at him and then cries out in frustration. She knocks off the vase on her drawer and collapses on the ground. She holds her face in her hands.

The Martian stares at his protégé in concern. Batman watches her carefully and his face is grim. Her cries get quieter as Batman turns to his teammate.

"This is the best for her, J'onn. It's what she needs," he says in monotone as he walks over to her. Her eyes widen when he grasps her arm.

"It's time to go, M'Gann," he tells her. She gets up without replying and the three of them walk out.

"What are they going to do?" Batman looks over to her and puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Confidential," he says. She sighs and rubs her sweating hand against her pants.

* * *

The Dark Knight's gloved hand remains on the girl's shoulder as they walk through the commons area, the girl's team in shock as they watch Batman lead her to the League's conference room. Batgirl's eyes widen a fraction when she notices her mentor guiding M'Gann, Martian Manhunter not too far behind them. M'Gann observes the crowd before her, made up of not only her team, but the League's as well.

Miss Martian does not see Nightwing or Wally and isn't really shocked. Following their meeting, they said they would contact both her and Superboy in a couple days. Guess they were telling the truth, then.

Conner looks on with an unreadable expression as he makes eye contact with Miss Martian. Trails of dried tears are clearly shown on her face.

'It'll be okay, M'Gann.' She nods with her eyes closed.

'Okay.' She feels…like an outcast. Everyone just stares at her. She watches the multiple teenagers whisper to one another as they gossip about her. She glances at La'Gann but he only looks down. M'Gann is caught off guard when she feels someone wrap their arms around her torso.

"NO! Don't take her…don't take her away too…" Batman frowns as she turns her attention to the green boy in front of her.

"Gar…its okay," she whispers, not missing a beat. She is surprised she sounds so confident, having been a wreck minutes ago. She pulls the young boy to her and gives him a soft smile.

"I gotta go now," she murmurs. The boy looks up at her with frightened eyes. She wipes the tears from his face and pulls away.

"It's all going to be okay, Beast Boy," she assures him. He nods and stands aside.

M'Gann wipes her eyes when they finally exit the room. She looks down the large hallway to see a woman at the door leading to the conference room. Batman puts him arm in front of her.

"Stop here, one minute," he says. She feels her Uncle behind her and cringes as Batman goes up to talk to Wonder Woman. She cannot make out what they are saying to each other but she can tell they are too…tense with one another, like they were trying to hide something, not only from her but from her Uncle J'onn as well. She assumes they have had a past together.

"Come on."Batman gestures with his hand and J'onn and Miss Martian come forward as the door opens.

It's everything she thought it would be.

A large table with every member seated; the Justice League logo big and noticeable in the middle. There was a certain tension in the air, the sense of duty and pride in their work. It was like nothing I had ever seen. M'Gann takes a seat opposite of Superman himself, at the end of the large table.

J'onn, Diana, and Batman each take their respective seats and then, it is quiet. M'Gann fiddles with her hands and does not make eye contact.

"Your recent actions have interested members of the league. Would you like to confess or should I lay out everything for you?" Black Canary immediately stands up.

"Give her a break, Clark. Can't you see she's scared?" M'Gann blinks and stares at her feet.

"Give her a break?! She's a future criminal. What she did to my fellow Atlantean is unforgivable!" Aquaman's yells silence Black Canary.

"You wanna settle down?" Aquaman turns to Green Arrow and points an accusing finger at him.

"You're one to talk! You didn't even know your own sidekick was a fake! At least, _I_ care about Kaldur!" Green Arrow stands up and gives a look to the king of Atlantis. They bicker back and forth and M'Gann finds herself taking in the other heroes' reactions. Superman's eyes are low. Wonder Woman watches with a disapproving look on her face and Batman just rolls his eyes. _The_ main three. Miss Martian is ashamed she's even here in the first place.

"Enough! Sit Down!" The two men growl and sit, following the Amazon's commands. There is an awkward quietness.

"Superman was just getting to the point, Canary," Hawkgirl says.

"I don't care, Shayera. I've worked with this girl for years; her ex-boyfriend's your own clone, Clark! She's one of the best students someone can ask for, so I would appreciate it if you gave her the benefit of the doubt," she murmurs quietly. Green Arrow tugs on her arm lightly and she sits back down. Superman sighs and turns to the girl across from him.

"Fine. I'll be blunt. M'Gann, you know what you have done. Now it's time to face the facts," he says.

It's going to be a long night.

* * *

Thank you for all the kind words of encouragement! I do love my reviews and followers so much. 3 :) Thanks a bunch and reviews and faves are very much appreciated. (:


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own YJ, DC, or any of it's characters.

* * *

"Come on, Kal…please." Artemis had known for Kaldur for so long…but she had never seen him this…helpless looking. Eyes wide, his features stiff, not moving. His arms were limp and fell to his sides. She sits directly across from him. She stares at him without a word and starts shaking him.

"Come on, Kal. I can't lose you, not now. Come on, Kal!" She feels a hand on her shoulder and looks up to the Black Manta himself. Apparently, he had heard her yelling at his son…right, more like a shell of a son.

"I would not continue to do that if I were you. Might make it even worse," he tells her. She retracts her hands from Kaldur as if they had been burned. Her cheeks reddened, slightly embarrassed at her stupidity. She asks a question to change the topic.

"What did Queen Bee say?" Kaldur's father runs his hand down his face and then turns to her.

"It's not good. Massive mental trauma. She doesn't know if it will wear off or even if it is treatable or not," he answers. Artemis shakes her head and holds her face in her hands.

"Guess we should have expected this sooner or later, though," he comments. Artemis looks up.

"What do you mean?" Black Manta smirks to himself.

"After we took out her archer friend, that Martian girl must've been pretty upset, I would imagine," he replies. Artemis looks down at her orange gloves and nods her head.

"It's a shame we didn't get to her first," he says. He crouches down so they are eye to eye.

"We will make sure that _they _pay for what happened to my son…right, Tigress?" She blinks before shaking her head.

"Right." With that, he leaves her to ponder in her own thoughts.

It's a bit cliché, but she can't really stop thinking about Wally…and the team, of course. She is curious of what they are up to…how her death is taking toll on the team. She also thinks about M'Gann, how she must be feeling right now. All the information that had been hidden from her, on purpose, by her own teammates must be more than a lot to take in. But then again, what the heck was she thinking? Even if Kaldur had killed you know…her, why would she _lobotomize_ someone like that? It wasn't like her, but then again her true appearance didn't really do her any justice either. She had overheard Martian Manhunter tell Batman how powerful she truly was…and with her powers, that's pretty scary. Being able to destroy someone from the inside-out? Put into the wrong hands…could be fatal for everyone.

"Come on Art…this is M'Gann we're talking about," she mumbles to herself. She must be eating herself alive for what she did. She must feel so guilty, so empty. Kind of how she had been feeling lately.

_Guilty, _for faking her own death.

_Guilty, _for planning with her teammates behind her friends' back.

_Guilty,_ for not being there in time for Kaldur.

_Guilty,_ for manipulating the feelings of her friends…her family.

The blonde takes a large breath and begins twiddling her thumbs. Wally had always teased her abut, how he could tell she was lying or nervous when she did it. Her heart nearly stops when she sees a familiar bald man step in the room. He smiles and pulls a chair up next to her. He squints when he sees the broken man before the two of them.

"Tigress," he acknowledges, while adjusting his collar. She turns her head to glance at him before facing back towards Kaldur.

"Mr. Luthor," she says with a fake tone, one she had learned to perfect while communicating with the members of the Light.

"How is he?" Artemis looks down and shrugs.

"Hard to tell," she replies. He stretches his arms out in front of him and then puts them behind his head. She watches him cautiously.

"I know that you two were really close," he mentions. The girl's eyes widen a fraction, trying not to show emotion.

"Must be hard to lose a partner like him," he continues. Artemis mentally sighs in relief.

"Yeah, it really is," she murmurs.

"I remember when he was on that…foolish team. He didn't live up to his true potential," he says frowning.

"Only when you fight for what you really want, you are at your most powerful," Luthor tells her.

"What do you suppose he wanted, sir?" Lex rolls his eyes.

"Isn't that obvious, girl? He wanted revenge," he responds. She looks away and finds herself staring at Kaldur again.

"Revenge isn't just a thing, my dear." She cringes as he calls her that, but continues to listen to him anyway as he continues.

"It's a drive. It motivates you to get what you want, to change something to the way you see fit. Sometimes revenge isn't what you necessarily need…but for someone like Kaldur? It suits him. The death of his former love? That's enough to make anyone go insane, but Kaldur? No, no. He decided to follow in his father's footsteps and proclaim vengeance on the ones who betrayed him," he concludes.

"Betrayal is a cycle, is it not?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

"You said Black Manta was betrayed, which was why he wanted revenge. Once betrayal begins, there is no stop to it," she whispers as she narrows her eyes.

"What are you implying?"

"Manta was abused at a young age. He cried for help but Aquaman did not notice him, which is why they are the worst of enemies. By becoming evil, he betrayed Atlantis. Because Kaldur left his father, Manta was betrayed once more, and now that he is on this side, Kaldur is betraying his former team," she replies. Lex raises his eyebrow and lets out a deep breath. He gets up and stops at the door.

"Good observation, child. You'll do well here, I suppose," he tells her. And with a smile on his face, he walks out the door. The girl sighs to herself.

* * *

"All team members meet in conference room at this time, please. Thank you." Conner overhears the intercom and sighs, making his way to the room. He sees the seven core members standing on a stage before them and then searches the crowd for M'Gann but does not find her. When his mentor clears his throat, Conner directs his attention to the stage.

"We thank you for all coming. Just a brief announcement, I promise. We have brief news." Conner holds his breath.

"As you all know, there have been complications…with your teammate, Miss Martian, lately," he starts. Conner watches as his teammates raise eyebrows at each other and whisper to one another. Superboy looks over to La'Gann who is staring right back at him. He lowers his gaze.

"As of now, M'Gann is suspended from her active duties and is no longer allowed here," he announces. Conner's face is grim as he stares up at the League.

That's when the shouting starts.

* * *

A little bit of a cliffy, eh? Haha just kidding but wanted to add some change to the story. Artemis is one of my favorite characters and I figure she should get a chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and faves againn. 3 Hiatus is almost over! If you have suggestions for the story, very much appreciated and inbox me. 3 :) Thanks a bunch.


End file.
